Liquid fuel for internal-combustion engines.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. FOSTER, OF PAIA, TERRITORY OF HAWAII.

LIQUID FUEL FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN PRESTON FOSTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Paia, in the county of Maui and Territory of Hawaii, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Liquid Fuels for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a composition of matter to take the place of gasolene in internal combustion engines, and it consists in the ingredients hereinafter set forth.

An ob ect of my invention is to provide a gasolene substitute which is a substitute in the true sense of the word; that is to say, which may be used under the same conditions that gasolene is used. The internal combustion engine need not be changed at all because of the fact that the new fuel may be used at the same pressure, or rather under the same compression that is obtained in the ordinary internal combustion engine. It may be used without deleterious effects on the engine. It does not require preheating in order to vaporize it, but will start an englne the same as asolene will.

A further object o my invention is to provide a liquid fuel to take the place of gasolene which is relatively cheap and wh1ch may be made of waste products which have hitherto not been utilized.

A further object of my invention is to provide a liquid fuel which practically eliminates carbon deposits in the engine and which is not materially affected by the presence of a limited amount of water, as distingiiished from gasolene in this respect.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention contemplates the use of alcohol as a base, with an addition of sulfuric ether, a neutralizing agent and one which at the same time denatures the alcohol.

The alcohol which forms the major portion of the liquid may be derived from molasses obtained from sugar mills, or from any other suitable vegetable source. The sulfuric ether is obtained by treating the alcohol, thus derived, with sulfuric acid. Since the other is to be mixed with the alcohol, the commercial sulfuric ether may be used. This ether has a percentage of water,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 16, 1917.

Patented Nov. 2'7, 1917.

Serial No. 186,581.

but these element do not interfere with the successful use of the commercial ether.

In carrying out my invention I mix from ten to twenty per cent. of sulfuric other with alcohol to which has been added a neutralizing and denaturing agent. For this purpose I make use of bone oil or pyridin. It is in the use of the pyridin which accomplishes a double purpose, that renders the fuel especially efiicient. hen ether and alcohol are mixed and burned, the products of combustion have an acid reaction which tends to injure the engine by its corrosive action. Now, the pyridin has an alkaline re-action which neutralizes the acidity of the products of combustion of the ether and the alcohol, so that the effects, as far as the interior of the engine is concerned are m'l. The bone oil or pyridin not only acts as a neutralizing agent, but it acts as a denaturing agent and conforms strictly with the Federal laws regarding such denaturants. In fact, I have found that by adding sulfuric ether to a denatured alcohol such as set forth by the custom house authorities, an ideal fuel is produced. In formula number 2 which is set forth by the custom house ofiicials, for denaturing alcohol, two gallons of wood alcohol and one-half gallon pyridin are mixed with every one hundred gallons of ethyl alcohol. To such a preparation I may add ten to twenty per cent. of sulfuric ether.

The liquid fuel can be used as a gasolene substitute directly without any change in the engine. The only change necessary at all is to admit less air into the carbureter since this fuel requires less air than the gasolene. Another advantage of the use of this fuel is that it may be used on any engine whose compression ranges from forty to eighty pounds or thereabout. When alcohol alone is used, the compression has to be much higher in order to obtain eflicient results. This necessitates the making, virtually, of a new engine.

If a small amount of water is mixed with the fuel no harm is done; in fact, the steam generated has a beneficial effect in keeping down the carbon or removing carbon, since as a matter of fact, when the fuel is used continuously little or no carbon develops in the cylinder. This is due to two reasons; one is to the fact that the steam tends to keep it out; the other is to the fact that the combustion temperature of the ether-alcohol mixture is lower than that of gasolene, so that the fuel oil is not subjected to such high temperature.

Another feature of this fuel is that it may be readily extinguished by water whereas when water is thrown on hydrocarbon oils it often tends to increase rather than to diminish the conflagration.

Although the pyridin has an offensive odor in itself, the mixture does not have an offensive odor, because a relatively small amount of the pyridin is used and this is covered up by the odor of the ether. As stated before, the exhaust is practically odorless.

I claim:

1. The herein described composition of matter for liquid fuel consisting of a mixture of ether, alcohol, and pyridin.

2. The herein described composition of matter for liquid fuel consisting of a mix ture of ether, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and pyridin.

3. The herein described composition of matter for liquid fuel comprising a mixture of the following ingredients in the proportions specified, to wit: two gallons methyl alcohol; one hundred gallons ethyl alcohol; one-half gallon pyridin, and from ten to twenty per cent. sulfuric ether.

4. The herein described composition of matter for liquid fuel comprising a mixture of the following ingredients in the proportions specified, to wit': two gallons methyl alcohol, one hundred gallons ethyl alcohol, one-half gallon pyridin, and substantially fifteen gallons of sulfuric ether.

JOHN P. FOSTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents, Washington, D. 0." 

